Musashi leaving Brunei in October 1944 for the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Career
Ordered:	June 1937
Laid down:	March 29, 1938
Launched:	November 1, 1940
Commissioned:	August 5, 1942
Fate:	Sunk October 24, 1944, Sibuyan Sea
Struck:	August 31, 1945
General Characteristics
Displacement:	68,200 tons
Length:	263 m (863 ft) overall 256 m (840 ft) waterline
Beam:	38.9 m (127.8 ft)
Draught:	11 m (36 ft) at full load
Propulsion:	12 Kanpon boilers, driving 4 steam turbines 150,000 shp (110 MW) four 3-bladed 6.0 m propellers
Speed:	27.46 knots (50.86 km/h)
Range:	7,200 nmi. at 16 kts   (13,000 km at 30 km/h)
Complement:	2,399
Armor:	650 mm on front of turrets 410 mm (16.1 in) side armor 200 mm (8 in) deck armor
Armament   August 1942   (as built):	9 × 460 mm (18.1 in) (3×3) 12 × 155 mm (6.1 in) (4×3) 12 × 127 mm (5 in) (6×2) 24 × 25 mm AA (8×3) 4 × 13 mm (2×2)
Armament   October 1944   (as sunk):	9 × 460 mm (18.1 in) (3×3) 6 × 155 mm (6.1 in) (2×3) 12 × 127 mm (5 in) (6×2) 130 × 25 mm AA (32×3, 34×1) 4 × 13 mm (2×2)
Aircraft:	7, 2 catapults

Musashi (武蔵), named after the ancient Japanese Musashi Province, was a battleship belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was the second and final ship of the Yamato class to be completed as a battleship. With her sister ship, Yamato, she was a member of the largest and most heavily armed and armored class of battleships ever constructed. Japanese battleship Musashi leaving Brunei in 1944 for the battle of Leyte Gulf Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Combatants United States, Australia Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers Many other ships, PT boats, and submarines About 1,500 planes 4 aircraft carriers 9 battleships 19 cruisers 34 destroyers About 200 planes Casualties 3,500... Image File history File links Japanese-War-Ensign. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated under pressure. ... WWII era steam turbine used for ship propulsion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A nautical mile is a unit of length. ... The article incorporates text from OpenHistory. ... HMS Victory in 1884 Battleship was the name given to the most powerfully gun-armed and most heavily armored warships between the 15th and 20th Centuries. ... Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Categories: Stub | Ship classes ... Yamato (大和), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was the lead ship of her class. ...

In June of 1937, executives from the Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard including Director Kensuke Watanabe and yard engineer Kumao Baba were ordered to begin preparations for construction and fitting out of one of the new series of battleships. Expansions of the Number 2 slipway had originally inspired naval executives to issue Nagasaki Shipyard the lucrative contract. Floating cranes of 150 and 350 metric tons capacity were built for heavy lifts. Built under the strictest of security, the battleship was launched November 1, 1940, and spent the better part of eighteen months fitting out. The completion date was revised to accommodate the changes requested by the Navy, including strengthening armor on the 15.5cm turrets, and the installation of extra communications gear. 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mitsubishi Logo The Mitsubishi Group ), Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies, all refer to a large grouping of independently operated Japanese companies which share the Mitsubishi brand name. ... Megane-bashi (Spectacles Bridge) Nagasaki ) (help· info), literally long peninsula, is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

Commissioned on 5 August 1942, she proceeded to Truk Lagoon, where Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto made Musashi his flagship. After he was killed on 18 April 1943 (having been shot down by a special US Air Corps operation) in the Solomons theater of operations, Musashi returned to Japan carrying his ashes. Musashi returned to Truk on 5 August 1943, and remained there until 10 February 1944. Her only activity during this time was a sortie toward the Marshall Islands, which resulted in no contact with American forces. On 29 March 1944, Musashi was hit by one torpedo from the submarine USS Tunny, and had to return to Japan for repairs and modifications to her anti-aircraft armament. August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... A view of Chuuk Chuuk is an island group that comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... T1-323 was the tail number of the plane carrying Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto on an inspection tour throughout the South Pacific when he was shot down and killed by American fighter aircraft during World War II. On 18 April 1943, T1-323, a Mitsubishi G4M Betty long-range bomber... The Solomon Islands is a nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea and is part of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... USS Tunny (SS/SSG/APSS/LPSS-282), a Gato-class submarine, was the first submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the tunny, any of several oceanic fishes resembling the mackerel. ...

She formed part of Vice-Admiral Takeo Kurita's Centre Force along with Yamato at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. During this battle on 24 October 1944, she was attacked by American carrier-based aircraft armed with bombs and torpedoes. After taking 17 bomb and 20 torpedo hits and 18 near misses, the ship capsized to port, and sank at 1935hrs. on October 24, taking more than 1000 of her 2399 crew with her; 1376 of the crew were rescued by the destroyers Kiyoshimo and Shimakaze. Categories: People stubs | 1889 births | 1977 deaths | Imperial Japanese Navy admirals | Japanese World War II people ... Combatants United States, Australia Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers Many other ships, PT boats, and submarines About 1,500 planes 4 aircraft carriers 9 battleships 19 cruisers 34 destroyers About 200 planes Casualties 3,500... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Airbus A380 An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, produced in the United States. ... A torpedo in Rail terminology refers to a small explosive device strapped to the top of the rail to alert an approaching train of immediate danger ahead. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ...

For more details on this class of ship, see the entry for Yamato. Italian ship-rigged vessel Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large, sea-going watercraft, sometimes with multiple decks. ... Yamato (大和), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was the lead ship of her class. ...

Emperor Hirohito visiting the Musashi

Musashi under attack at the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 24 October 1944.

Emperor Hirohito of Japan (front row, center), with officers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, on board the Musashi off Yokosuka Naval Base on 24 June 1943. ... Emperor Hirohito of Japan (front row, center), with officers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, on board the Musashi off Yokosuka Naval Base on 24 June 1943. ... Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) Hirohito (裕仁) (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1926 to 1989. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Battle of Leyte Gulf Conflict World War II, Pacific Campaign Date 23 October 1944 – 26 October 1944 Place The Philippines Result Decisive Allied victory The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought in the seas around the island of Leyte... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

References

• Akira Yoshimura, Battleship Musashi: The Making and Sinking of the World's Biggest Battleship, (Kodansha America, New York, 1991) (Orig. published in Japanese as Senkan Musashi (Shinchosh, Ltd., 1991)); The first half of the book describes the engineering and building of the ship and construction facilities, including the launching; the second half is dedicated to the final battle, an analysis of the battle damage, and its sinking. Includes drawings of internal arrangements of the ship.
• Siegfried Breyer, Battleships and Battlecruisers 1905-1970 (Doubleday and Company; Garden City, New York, 1973) (originally published in German as Schlachtschiffe und Schlachtkreuzer 1905-1970, J.F. Lehmanns, Verlag, Munchen, 1970). Contains various line drawings of the ship as designed and as built.
• Robert Gardiner, ed., Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922 - 1946 (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1980)
• William H. Garzke, Jr., and Robert O. Dulin, Jr., Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battlehips in World War II (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1985)

External links

• IJN Musashi: Tabular Record of Movement
• Wikimedia Commons images